“I just want to be certain – I want to know what’s going to happen, and I want to make sure I don’t get hurt.” I was silent, listening to my friend as she was carefully spelling out the details of a new romantic interest. Her voice was filled with enthusiasm and a little dread. New relationships are scary and she was afraid of the unknown.

In life, there is so much uncertainty.

We are all afraid of the unknown. The unknown is uncomfortable. It feels unsafe. Uncertainty is nerve-racking. When faced with a new situation, most of us stick our necks out, feel the cold rush of insecurity and then quickly retreat back into our comfort zone.

But you do not grow in your comfort zone and you can’t change there.

Discomfort can be experienced in all places in our lives – in relationships, in business, parenting. Either you don’t feel equipped to face the challenges ahead, or you’re too scared of taking a risk and creating change.

My friend didn’t like the feeling of not knowing. Being uncomfortable made her feel like something was wrong. And it wasn’t wrong necessarily, it just felt that way.

What if we switched the paradigm up a bit?  What if we looked at it differently? What if we were able to be comfortable being uncomfortable?

Because here’s the deal:
In this world, nothing is certain and there are no guarantees. You can never really be 100% sure about anything. All we can ever do is make educated guesses based on a set of data that we walk about with. The things you think you know - you might not. You can never have all of the answers.

But you can have your answer. The best answer for you. And that’s all you need.

I often find myself in seasons of uncertainty. It’s been a hard lesson, but I have learned (I am still learning) to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Sometimes sitting in this place and not retreating is what it takes for the right thing to materialize. It is scary and vulnerable, but I’m learning to live there and more importantly, I’m learning to love there.

The key is found within.

The key is in finding safety and security within you – there is a spiritual component to this. You can trust (circumstances, people around you, etc.) because you can trust you. Once you learn to trust yourself, security begins to form. Once you learn to love yourself, the rest will fall into place.

Are there areas in your life where you feel discomfort? I encourage you to press in and discover what you can learn by being comfortable in the uncomfortable.

Here’s to making it great.